EFF trampled on dignity of Parliament - Mantashe

Johannesburg - The Economic Freedom Fighters trampled on
Parliament's dignity by disrupting proceedings in the National Assembly on
Thursday, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said.

"That is trampling on the dignity of Parliament as an
institution... and if you want to destroy that institution for a short term
satisfaction, you will regret it," Mantashe told journalists after a
dinner hosted by the SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Johannesburg.

"When there is no Parliament, there will be
dictatorship."

Stand-off

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete had to adjourn the
House on Thursday following a stand-off between her and EFF members.

The party's MPs disrupted proceedings while President Jacob
Zuma was answering questions.

Tensions rose after EFF leader Julius Malema objected to
Zuma's reply to a question about when he was going to repay part of the money
spent on the R246m security upgrades to his private Nkandla homestead in
KwaZulu-Natal.

The EFF MPs refused to leave after Mbete ordered them out of
the National Assembly. When she shouted at them, they responded by chanting
"pay back the money".

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela had recommended in her
report on Nkandla, titled Secure in Comfort, that Zuma repay part of the money.

Probe

Mbete later announced that Parliament would establish a
committee to probe the conduct of the EFF.

Mantashe said Parliament should use its rules to deal with
the incident.

"Parliament has all the infrastructure and the
framework to deal with that issue. It requires strong leadership to deal with
the matter decisively," he said.